Workshops and Tours

Workshops and tours will take place on Saturday from 1:30pm-3:00pm and Sunday from 2:00pm-4:00pm. Sign-ups will be available at the registration table. Note that additional tours and workshops may be added as we get closer to the conference date.

Saturday 1:30pm and 2:15pm

Workshops:

Imposter Syndrome (40 min, SSB 101): Have you ever felt like an imposter? Join us for a conversation about the ways that gender, race, and age impact our ability to see ourselves as professionals. We’ll share experiences and discuss strategies for combatting imposter syndrome and perfectionism. Led by Cecily Nelson-Alford of the UCSD Women’s Center.

Undergraduate Research (40 min, SSB 104): This workshop will go over the why’s and how’s of doing research as an undergraduate, and how to prepare for research programs in the summer or during the school year. Led by Prof. Adam Burgasser and Dr. Sophia Tsai from UC San Diego.

Scientific Writing: (80 min, location SSB 107; 40 participants maximum): Written communication is a core scientific skill, whether it be scientific papers, proposals or popular writing. This workshop will present strategies for make your writing more efficient and effective. Participants should bring a pencil/pen and a notepad – you will be writing! Led by Genevive Bjorn, an award-winning science and travel writer and blogger.

Tours:

General Atomics Tour (90 minutes, off-site; 40 participants maximum): General Atomics is a center for energy research (including fusion), aeronautics and advanced electromagnetic systems. This tour, led by General Atomics researchers and staff, will take you around their San Diego DIII-D Fusion Facility, the goal of which is to establish the scientific basis for the optimization of the tokamak approach to fusion energy production (This tour is now closed).

The San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) (35 minutes, San Diego SuperComputer Center; 30 participants maximum per session): This tour will give you the opportunity to see the tools used to perform powerful computations, from investigating the dynamics of molecules at the quantum scale to simulating the evolution of the entire Universe. Hosted by SDSC staff and UCSD Physics faculty member Prof. Frank Wuerthwein.

The Averitt Lab: Experimental Materials Physics (35 minutes, Mayer Hall; 40 participants maximum per session): The Averitt Lab uses time-resolved spectroscopy spanning far-infrared through visible wavelengths to characterize the fundamental and technologically-relevant properties of novel materials. This tour will demonstrate some of the experimental tools used to fabricate and investigate artificial and quantum-based materials. Led by Prof. Averitt and his postdocs and graduate students.

The Surko Lab: Positron Physics (35 minutes, Mayer Hall; 40 participants maximum): Graduate students in Prof. Cliff Surko’s group will demonstrate the new tools they are developing to cool, manipulate and deliver tailored bursts of low-energy positrons, the antiparticles of the electron. These are used to study matter-antimatter interactions (positron-atom and positron-molecule), perform fundamental physics tests (e.g., CPT theorem, using anti hydrogen), and study positronium atoms (e+e- = Ps) and the positronium molecule (Ps2). The tour will also describe new experiments to study ideal, 2D fluid dynamics using a magnetized electron plasma.

Instrumentation and Observational Astrophysics at UCSD (70 minutes, SERF Building; 40 participants maximum): Two side-by-side tours will exhibit the instrumentation used by astrophysicists to study the Universe. Dr. Richard Rothschild will demonstrate space hardware used to observe the cosmos at X-ray wavelengths, while Prof. Shelley Wright will demonstrate infrared instrumentation used to study distant galaxies and to search for signals from advanced civilizations around the nearest stars.

Sunday 2:00pm and 4:00pm

Workshops:

Getting into Graduate School (45 min, location SSB 101): Are you applying or thinking of applying to graduate school? Attend this workshop to learn more about how to make your application to graduate school the best it can be. Led by Prof. Tom Murphy, a member of the UC San Diego Graduate Admissions Committee.

Strategies for Stress Management (45 min, location SSB 104): Is physics stressing you out? Not sure how to manage schoolwork while leading a healthy, balanced life? This workshop will teach you techniques to manage stress effectively and live the happy lifestyle you deserve. Led by the UC San Diego Counseling And Psychological Services (CAPS).

Entering the Workforce with a Bachelor’s Degree (45 min, location SSB 107):Not sure how to start a career in industry with a degree in physics? This workshop will go discuss the many ways you can build upon your physics degree in other industries. Led by Prof. Oleg Shpyrko.

Tours:

The Averitt Lab: Experimental Materials Physics (35 minutes, Mayer Hall; 40 participants maximum per session): The Averitt Lab uses time-resolved spectroscopy spanning far-infrared through visible wavelengths to characterize the fundamental and technologically-relevant properties of novel materials. This tour will demonstrate some of the experimental tools used to fabricate and investigate artificial and quantum-based materials. Led by Prof. Averitt and his postdocs and graduate students.

The Surko Lab: Positron Physics (45 minutes, Mayer Hall; 40 participants maximum): Members of Prof. Cliff Surko’s group will demonstrate new tools to cool, manipulate and deliver tailored bursts of low-energy positrons, the antiparticles of the electron. These are used to study matter-antimatter interactions (positron-atom and positron-molecule), perform fundamental physics tests (e.g., CPT theorem, using anti hydrogen), and study positronium atoms (e+e- = Ps) and the positronium molecule (Ps2). The tour will also describe new experiments to study ideal, 2D fluid dynamics using a magnetized electron plasma.

The Keating Lab: Observational Cosmology (45 minutes, SERF Building; 25 participants maximum): Members of Prof. Brian Keating’s Lab will demonstrate the hardware used to study the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and near-infrared background (NIRB), with novel detectors and telescopes at remote corners of the world.